


turn it around (take it slow)

by PearlTurtle



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lawyers, M/M, Slow Burn, Very inaccurate representation of how courts work, most the critrole cast shows up at some point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 14:22:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15172598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PearlTurtle/pseuds/PearlTurtle
Summary: When Mollymauk Tealeaf receives this case, it's his last chance at the firm. It's supposed to be simple - prove that his client, Delilah Briarwood, and her deceased husband are innocent, prove that her husband's supposed murderer is guilty, and make it out with a hefty paycheck, a chance at redeeming his reputation, and maybe a new tattoo.He doesn't expect to fall in love with the lawyer defending Silas Briarwood's murderer, have a gang claim that he used to be their leader, or learn a little too much about the truths surrounding this case, but here he is.





	turn it around (take it slow)

**Author's Note:**

> hi! so, i absolutely adore opposing lawyer!aus so... have widomauk! i hope you enjoy!

Molly would have liked to say that he was having a good day.

 

His previous case had much more paperwork to finish after the trial then was justifiable, Yasha still hasn't shown her face after her disappearance last week - uncommon, no. But it still wasn't a favourite time of Molly’s when Yasha was gone. And, on top of that, the coffee machine decided to break. Great.

 

So, of course, he wasn't expecting the best when Gustav called him into his office. Granted, he shouldn't have raised his voice at a mousy intern earlier in the day - but surely Gustav would let that slide, right? Or, he hadn't done terrible well on his last few cases, but not everyone can be perfect, right? Everyone should be fine.  _ It's just a talk _ , he repeats to himself.

 

Apparently not.

 

“Mollymauk, we're cutting back on staff, and you can't keep on flunking cases like this. You're ruining our reputation. Please, I don't want to let you go, but you're a liability at this point.”

 

Well, that stung a little.

 

Molly wants to defend himself, wants to form words that could convince Gustav that firing him would be the worst possible choice that he could ever make - he wants to, but he can't.

 

Logically, he knows he isn't doing well. His migraines have been getting worse, there's been too many nights where he's woken up, a nightmare he can't remember plaguing him, and his last few cases have all ended with plea bargains tipped in the other side’s favour, or just an outright loss for his client.

 

He isn't in a good place, and Molly knows that Gustav understands that. It's probably why it's taken Gustav this long to address it.

 

“You've got one more chance. Your client is Delilah Briarwood - her husband was supposedly killed by a man called Percival De Rolo, pretentious name, I know, and there's nearly limitless evidence tipped against him. It'd be hard to lose this case.”

 

_ One more chance,  _ his mind echoes,  _ one more chance before I'm thrown on the streets with no job or credibility to my name. _

 

In that instant, he promises himself that he will win this case. He needs to, because Mollymauk Tealeaf doesn't have any other skills other than talking in front of people who have spent much longer studying law than Molly has even truly been alive. It's nice, he supposes, to have something he's good at, without even needing to spend years studying the law and all its intricacies.

 

Gustav slides some files over to Molly, and it's almost identical to the moment two years prior where Gustav had provided Molly with a name, a passport, a degree, and most importantly a home within the white plastered walls of  _ Gustav and Associates Law _ . The papers rest in Molly’s hands - they're his lifeline, he supposes, and he clutches them with perhaps too much vigor.

 

“You can ask Yuli to set up a viewing of the victim’s body for you, since it's a company she's most familiar with. That's all for now, Molly. Call me if you need anything.”

 

Molly nods, then makes out a ‘ _ sure, Gustav! I won't let you down again.’ _ He exits the room, pushes the door closed with his foot, and leans his back against it, closing his eyes and breathing softly. 

 

He's about to pull out his phone, maybe call Yasha or search why the name  _ Briarwood  _ is so familiar to him, but instead a scratchy voice breaks his attention away from his thoughts.

 

“Molly, are you alright? You've seemed more tired recently, and now you're leaning against Gustav door doing….nothing?”

 

Well, at least it isn't that intern from earlier in the day. He's not sure Gustav would take kindly to another issue concerning Molly - he's dangerously close to his final strike, and after that he's out. Plastering a smirk on his face, he turns to face Toya.

 

“I'm fine, Toya. Don't worry about me! When have I ever  _ not _ been fine?”

 

Toya seems quite eager to answer, but in Molly’s defense, he's sure her reply would have referenced a time when he was drunk. Still, he doesn't want his boss’s adopted daughter spilling embarrassing stories of an intoxicated Mollymauk in the middle of the hallway, so he cuts in before she has a chance to speak.

 

“Besides, you shouldn't even be here! Gustav has told you not to come here, right? Who brought you? The twins, Orna, or Bo? I won't tell Gustav, don't worry about that, but here isn't the best place for a child to grow up around.”

 

“It was Orna, but she told me that you're taking me home tonight.”

 

Damn. He'd forgotten about that. Molly really has to stop agreeing to things while drunk.

 

Oh well, his tinder date can wait until another night, if at all. He was beginning to have second thoughts to that as well, especially since it was another decision he had made while drunk.

 

“Alright! You know my car, right? Take the keys out of my pocket-”

 

“Your jeans are  _ really  _ tight.”

 

“Yes, I know, it's called  _ fashion.  _ I'm holding the papers so I can't show you but get the keys - no, not that pocket - and wait in the car. I'll be there in ten minutes, just have to get some stuff from my office.”

 

Toya finally manages to find the keys, and skips off towards the stairs. Molly sighs fondly, makes a mental note to tell Orna to actually notify him if he's watching Toya that night, and makes his way to his office.

 

The plaque mounted in his door is still as shiny as ever, the silver metal reading  _ Mollymauk Tealeaf  _ being one of his most prized possessions, even if it was kept in a hallway at his workplace - his name was one the thing he had chosen for himself, the one difference he could make to his person. One name couldn't make up for however many years he couldn't remember, or a lifetime he couldn't repent, but it was enough for now, and he would definitely take pride in the object confirming his name.

 

He realises he's been standing outside his office for a bit too long when a loud creaking announces him to the presence of someone else entering their office. He hurriedly makes his way inside, grabs his laptop and shoves the files and laptop into his bag, before leaving the room.

 

He doesn't want to lose his office, or the plaque with his name, and that's perhaps another reason to succeed in the case.

 

Toya is bobbing her head to music when Molly arrives to the car - some kind of modern pop that doesn't sound great by any means, but is the kind of music Molly would appreciate when he's drunk. So, a fairly large portion of the time.

 

“Can we get some ice-cream?”

 

Toya is asking, but Molly - and the rest of the office knows - that Toya will get everything she asks for. She's not spoiled at all, how could she when she's spent so many years of her life on damp street corners and no shelter, but she's rarely in a position where people say ‘no’ to her.

 

Thank god she doesn't abuse it, because Molly would be prepared to spend a lot more money on her than he currently does.

 

“Of course, darling. Any preference as to where?”

 

She just shrugs, which leaves Molly to try and remember where any ice-cream places around them are. Eventually, after a lot of turning around, backtracking, and some cursing (“Toya, you didn't hear any of what I just said.”) they eventually reach a small, unassuming shop. The exterior is bland - never a good thing in Mollymauk’s eyes - apart from a single, bright sign which reads ‘ _ Nott and Jester’s Ices, All Year Round!’  _ complete with some stylistic doodles of waffle cones, and two people which Molly assumes to be Nott and Jester.

 

Toya seems satisfied, so he's pulls over the car, opens the door with a flourish and over emphasised bow for Toya, and they enter the shop together.

 

The interior is a rainbow of colour and Molly absolutely adores it.

 

There's wooden floorboards - except they're painted messily in dozens of different shades, clashing hideously but still somehow managing to look fairly nice. The counter is a wide stretch of pink, with black and white designs engraved into it haphazardly. The walls alternate between green and gold, and the ceiling is a bright blue. A TV screen blares nonsense from behind the counter, some news channel that people put on just so that something is playing. Nothing goes together, but Molly still loves it.

 

Whoever decorated this room didn't do it well, but they certainly put a lot of time into it, and Molly can appreciate the individuality of the store. 

 

Once he's finished taking in the decor of the room, his eyes drift to a corner where three figures are talking. One of them is animated and loud, with a bright shock of blue hair and a fairly feminine figure. The others are looking away from Molly and Toya, but he can see that one of them is quite tall, who seems to be hunched into themself and more reserved, whilst the other is much shorter by comparison, and seems to interject often into whatever the blue-haired one is saying. It takes a moment, but the blue-haired one finally goes silent, staring right at Molly.

 

“Ah! I'm sorry we did not notice you before. My name is Jester, and welcome Nott and Jester’s Ices! Normally we'd greet you right away, but we didn't as I'm sure you noticed, so I hope you still want to have ice cream from us! If you don't, that's fine, but you should because it tastes really good! Anyway-”

 

In a flash, the shorter figure is standing in front of them, two menus clutched in their hands. Toya takes one eagerly, but Molly’s focus is instead directed on the bandages covering the figure’s arms.

 

“That's Nott! Don't ask about the bandages, she won't tell you-” well, clearly Mollymauk wasn't being very stealthy when he looked at them, “-and she doesn't speak much in general either so, just talk to me instead!”

 

Molly decides not to bring up the fact that he had seen Nott cutting into Jester’s words earlier, and instead nods, taking a menu from her. Nott flashes a slight grin, before disappearing behind the counter and into a separate room.

 

The two take a moment to study the menus, and as soon as Toya sets hers down, Jester is immediately there.

 

“Are you ready to order?”

 

Toys lists off her order, nudging Molly at the end and asking if that was okay. He nods, without really having listened to what she had ordered, and just asks for some frozen custard. Jester is suddenly a whirlwind of motion, working machines behind the counter in a flurry. It's mesmerizing to watch.

 

After a few minutes, they're presented with their orders - there's a lot of sprinkles on Molly’s which he's sure he didn't actually order, but they taste good so he doesn't mind. The whole thing, actually, is amazing. He's definitely coming back here again.

 

“So, does your friend - Nott? - always leave you to deal with the customers, or was that just unlucky timing on our part?”

 

“Nope! We're actually kinda new at this ice-cream thing so she hasn't really got the hang of it yet. We were a bakery before this, so she always stayed in the back… oh! I don't mind though!”

 

“Oh, what made you change to ice-cream?”

 

Jester smiles brightly, and she reaches under the counter, rummaged for a few seconds, and pulls out a variety of items.

 

“We just try new things! Nott and I, we just… do whatever! It's fun! This glove was used when we wanted to become sports players….we gave up pretty quickly on that. And this!” she brandishes a metal tray towards him, with a large, black stain towards the middle. “We used this for the baking! But then I burnt it, and nearly set the kitchen on fire, so Caleb wasn't happy about that.”

 

“That sounds… interesting. It's great that you're into so many different things, though! We should be leaving soon, so-”

 

“Wait!” Molly instantly quietens. “You work in law, right? Criminal justice or something?”

 

“I do, but how-”

 

“I knew it! It's all in my mystical powers of deduction! We also tried being detectives once!”

 

The other figure in the room who hasn't yet spoken yet sighs loudly, and makes their way towards the counter. As he approaches, Mollymauk can see tousled ginger hair framing a set of piercing blue eyes - he isn't the most attractive person Molly had ever seen, but he's exactly Molly’s type. Molly immediately straightens up, tries to look a little more like someone who studied law, and less like someone who was threatened to be fired today, and turns towards the newcomer.

 

“She has probably just seen you online somewhere and remembered it. I'm Caleb Widogast, pleasure to meet you.”

 

The voice is slightly accented, a lilt on his words that Molly can't properly make out.

 

“Mollymauk Tealeaf, the same goes for you.”

 

“Ah! That's right! Mollymauk, Caleb also works in law! The same kind, right?”

 

Caleb nods slightly - it's barely an incline of the head but it's enough for Jester to get excited and start ruffling through some of the draws in the cabinet.

 

“Just Molly to my friends, and I think we could be friends. It's great to meet someone outside of my workplace who's in this line of work.”

 

Jester presses something into Molly’s hand, and he sees a string of numbers accompanied by a small doodle of what he assumes is supposed to be Caleb.

 

“Alright! Molly! This is Caleb’s number - don't look at me that way Caleb, this is for your own good, you need more friends - and if you invite him to dinner or something then you don't have to pay now or the next time you come here.”

 

Even without Toya’s bright excitement lighting up her face, Molly wouldn't have said no.

 

“Sure. Thank you for the ice-cream, and thank  _ you _ , darling,” he winks at Caleb, and takes some slight pleasure in the way that Caleb’s face darkens slightly at the latter words, “for your number.” 

 

Caleb sighs.

 

Toya and Molly leave, and the moment they pass through the door, Molly can see Nott reappear from the backroom. The car drive to Molly’s apartment is silent, save for the pop music playing softly and Toya’s vocals stacked on top of that - she sounded much better than the original singers in Molly’s professional, completely unbiased opinion.

 

They arrive at the apartment, and Toya immediately makes a rush to look for Molly’s cat. Molly collapses on the couch, sends a message to his tinder hookup that tonight's meet up is cancelled, and inputs Caleb’s number into his phone.

 

_ You / 17:13 _

 

_ hi ~ this is molly !! spelt mollymauk  _

_ is tomorrow good for you, or too short notice?  _

 

_ Caleb (the criminal justice one) / 17:53 _

 

_ Ja, tomorrow is fine. _

_ Where will we be going? _

 

_ You / 17:55 _

 

_ mmm don't worry i'll show you when were there _

_ its nothing too fancy so dw abt that _

_ i'll pick you up if that's fine???? _

 

_ Caleb (the criminal justice one) / 18:09 _

 

_ Alright. _

_ I'll text you my address later. _

 

_ You / 18:11 _

 

_ K ~~~ it's ~ a ~ date then ! _

 

_ Caleb (the criminal justice one) / 18:24 _

 

_ We just met… _

 

_ You / 18:30 _

 

_ do people actually have proper romances in this day and age?????  _

 

_ Caleb (the criminal justice one) / 18:39 _

 

_ I would hope so, yes. _

_ But either way, I will see you tomorrow. _

_ Goodbye, Mollymauk. _

 

_ You / 18:41 _

 

_ ok !! ttyl caleb  _

**Author's Note:**

> any feedback is hugely appreciated!


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